Have you ever met a Pinoy who seems to be well-dressed, well-educated, yet at the same time berates and humiliates other people, especially those in the service industry, loudly and seemingly without remorse? How about a Pinoy in a position of fame, celebrity, and star quality, but cusses and hurls invectives like a machine gun? How about one who is skilled at debate, can point out to you all the nuances and subtleties of the scientific methods of doing things, yet refuses to let anyone else but him/her have the last say in an argument, and is not above using cheap shots and gangbang tactics just to shut his/her perceived detractors up?

Well, you have just met an example of one of the most outstanding Pinoy oxymorons: the edukadong palengkero. To explain this to people who do not speak Filipino/Tagalog in the simplest terms possible, the term I used above describes a person who gives off the appearance of being refined, yet his/her reality is one who engages everyone in as brusque, loud, and disrespectful a manner as possible. This term as a whole is a bit difficult to translate literally, so I’ll break down the term into parts and analyze each.

Edukado is the easier term to explain. It literally means educated. It connotes someone who is knowledgeable in either scholarly ways or ways of the world. For the purpose of this write-up, we can also include under edukado people who are considered opinion-shapers (media people, politicians) and idolized on the screen (movie-stars). Palengkero/a, literally a man/woman who goes to the market, has taken on a pejorative meaning here in the Philippines because it connotes that people who go to market are ill-mannered, always pick or look for a fight, and always shout at the top of their lungs. The closest equivalents I can think of in English are the following terms: crude, tactless, boorish, loudmouth, ill-mannered, and uncouth. For Filipinos, we know loudmouth by the vernacular term bungangero/a.

In short, the parallel of the edukadong palengkero in English is along the lines of the refined boor.

I’m not just describing an abstract concept here. This type of person is alive, kicking, and has many names associated with it.

Media and show business abound with examples. One need not look any further than Claudine Barretto and Raymart Santiago in recent news. These “celebrities” have shown that the poise and composure that they’re supposed to portray on the big screen does not necessarily carry over to real life. The Tulfo brothers, on the other hand, aren’t exactly saints either; using their T3 program to make grave threats (probably empty too, by the way) to their brother’s assailants does not exactly express the “discipline” that media people are purported to have. Annabelle Rama and Marian Rivera are also two of the more allegedly infamous palengkeras in the showbiz industry.

Politicians are not about to get left behind. Tito Sotto, formerly of Tito, Vic, and Joey fame and now a senator, made the cut for edukadong palengkero when he threw a monumental tantrum over CNN’s feature of pagpag. Jinggoy Estrada certainly was acting like one in the impeachment trial sessions this week; he was the one who kept insisting that only Chief Justice Corona can set the “records” straight.

Let’s not forget the highest ranking government official who happens to be the archetypical edukadong palengkero. No, I’m not talking about Mar Roxas; he’s Mr. Palengke. We’re talking about our “esteemed” President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, or Noynoy (PNoy), especially when he continued complaining about his predecessor’s “corruption” in the recent ADB summit held in Manila.

Even internet forums are not safe from edukadong palengkeros. We’ve all encountered people who feel that the rules of blogs and forums do not apply to them when it comes to following standards of decency in commenting. I was a bit surprised, to say the least, that even some reputable pundits succumb to palengkero tendencies. Everytime it seems a flaming/bashing war dies down they light it up again. They don’t know how to make their point succinctly and just leave it at that. They think they have to answer to every bit of criticism thrown against them. They hope to silence their detractors by commenting to them into submission. I don’t understand why they can’t just leave well enough alone; it’s not exactly the correct thing to do if you ask me.

What is it about our society that churns out people who exhibit these contradictory characteristics at the same time? Does the fact that we revert to such barbaric behavior when faced with conflict indicate a regression or lack of evolution in our thinking process as a people? Well, as I used to hear when I was younger, “you can take the Pinoy out of the barok (crude), but you can never take the barok out of the Pinoy.” That these two conflicting qualities exist at the same time is a not-so-subtle expression of another point: No matter how much money a person acquires, it won’t buy them breeding.

We can do as much analysis as we want, but in the end, all roads lead to the Pinoy ego. That over-inflated sense of self-importance makes the Pinoy his own worst enemy. The Pinoy has not learned to think using the head that’s above the neck, instead of his emotions, in sorting things out. The Pinoy’s enlarged sense of entitlement, that empty arrogance, that feeling that everyone is out to “put one over them”: these are the very things that prevent Pinoys from becoming a cohesive society bigger than their own beings.

As I said before in one of my previous write-ups, perhaps what it will take Pinoys to realize that there is more to life than being self-important, egotistical crybabies is a big humiliation on the global stage. We need to be chopped down to size, and rebuilt again as a stronger entity.

Filipinos already speak very loudly; but they don’t have the big stick to go along with it.

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24 Comments

Wow, you always write about what is true about us Filipinos and I like it. I still believe that unlearning and learning individually plays a big part in achieving the change that we desire for the Filipino race. Let the change start with me and more lessons to learn from your posts. Thank you!

“As I said before in one of my previous write-ups, perhaps what it will take Pinoys to realize that there is more to life than being self-important, egotistical crybabies is a big humiliation on the global stage. We need to be chopped down to size, and rebuilt again as a stronger entity.”

Haha, like the current brouhahas (political and showbiz alike) are not enough to humiliate you as a Filipino. What would it take to humiliate you more then that you want another incident that will chop Filipinos down to size?

The existence of a supposedly Filipino blogsite alone that bashes and loathes Filipino alone is not something to be proud of.

Seems like he couldn’t accept something IS WRONG with ourselves even though it already sticks out and is annoyingly true. There are many things that IS WRONG with Filipinos that’s why we still live in a mess of a country. That’s why this blogsite exists to help in pinpointing these (and nag them because they’re continuously ignored and never acknowledged) and even suggesting solutions on what needs to be done.

Is not the Scarborough Shoal Event, the TulfoSantiago Brawl, and a host of other degrading incidences enough that you are asking that Filipinos suffer more? Why? So we’ll have more materials for another Filipino lambasting galore?

Brother, you need to see the line between constructive criticism and being an anti-Filipino.

You still not see the points being raised by each article here. You still think that the blogsite is all talk and lambasting with no substance at all then you are so wrong and so into the playing the “victim card” again. You play that “victim card” if you feel chopped down. Nowadays, I will support these author’s intentions to give “tough love” to all of us since it seems even gentle reminders to all Filipinos before of what is wrong and needs to be done are not heeded at all (and many still continue to do their old bad ways) throughout decades. Just look at our country after… what… 26 years after EDSA revolution and we’re still a poor country? Results speaks for itself. We can all deny (yes go on) but reality shoves it to our face.

It’s like a parent telling a child at first, gently, warning not to do something bad or harmful. Then the naughty child still does it. A 2nd, 3rd warning is given. Still the child does it. Seems the child does not want to listen so the parent has no choice but to scold him harshly or even shout at (or worse be given the belt).

This blogsite is like the parent. It seems the child, us, has been warned long enough to stop doing the bad things and yet still continue to do so. “Tough love” is then needed in order to discipline us.

But it’s your choice. If you still feel that this blogsite just “chops down” Filipinos for no reason at all, then so be it. That’s you. It’s your problem. Not the problem of the blogsite. Others beside you might get it and benefit from the article. You are free not to heed it.

“But itâ€™s your choice. If you still feel that this blogsite just â€œchops downâ€ Filipinos for no reason at all, then so be it. Thatâ€™s you. Itâ€™s your problem. Not the problem of the blogsite. Others beside you might get it and benefit from the article. You are free not to heed it.”

I think, this is true not only to Filipinos but to people in general. In Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, Professor Moriarity said that humans, though they yearn peace, secretly are yearning for conflict. That is why we have seemingly educated people act like jerks and assholes. For me, an educated person is different from an enlightened person.

An educated person is just like that… trained and infused with countless knowledge and trainings but does not mean is wise (in words and deeds) always.

On the other hand, wisdom is something else which cannot be imparted to another nor taught. It will come inside the person through countless experiences he has throughout his life. Yup most enlightened ones are indeed wise.

I think it’s in people’s nature to always prove themselves right and correct and superior: some just deal with it better while others are obvious with it. I also think you can also meet people like these anywhere in the world, not just here in this country (like what Ric here said).

I understand the nature of this blog. I do appreciate the enlightening write ups. If one doesn’t like what you’re seeing in your fellow Pinoys, why not change yourself and be the person you wish to be, and not just as a Filipino citizen?

You know, many of the children of the middle or upper classes are left with maids. Thus, they pick up the behavior and language patterns of the maids. Hence, the “conyo.” This highlights the importance of giving QUANTITY, not just quality time, spent with your kids.

I don’t consider Tito Sotto an intellectual man. He’s just a celebrity who got voted into the senate. His action says a lot about his ignorance regarding the media industry. The advertising department is separate from the news department.

If somebody get a shot at you; you must shot back. Not only to keep your reputation, but to protect your dignity. And to keep your sanity, intact. Education does not matter in the Blog,as a Blogger, or in our society. Most of the educated people, have gone to work as OFW slaves/Drug Mules , anyway. Whatever, dignity that are left on them, in getting College degrees are gone. People behave in differently ways. Some were brought up right by their parents. Some were not. Some are well mannered. Some are not. Some just want to show-off (mag-pa-utot) , to hug the limelight…with their hidden agendas covered-up securely under their sleeves. Some are with large Egos, due to their positions in the government, or as celebrities. We have to live with these people…since we cannot get-off or get out of this revolving Planet.

I think you failed to mention Miriam Defensor Santiago. She is a classic example of Edukadoang palengkera. Most times she just berates people with high fallutin words… she really sounds very educated when berating people…hahah

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